Machine for gaging jewels.



PATENTED DBC. 1, 1903,

D. 11.v CHURCH.

'MACHINE PoR GAGING JEWELS.

AEPLIGATION FILED H0112, i393.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MQDEL.

INVENTUR in: wams mens oc.. Puoouwcf. wnmmron, ne

. PATEN'TED DEQ-1, 190s.,

AD. H, GHUlwH.l y MAGHINB EUR GAGING, JEWELS..

APPL-Inauguran Novfiz, ma.

a 'SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No MODEL.

| l I l t l l l I l i im/ENTER. zw /M WITN E555 5:

1H: mams PETERS mmumu.. wAsumn-rnu. bfc.

P ATHHTHD DHC. 1, 1903..

D. H. CHCHCH. C MACHINE HCH CACINC JHWHLS.

APPLIUATIO FILED NOV. 12, 1898.

vNo HCDHL.

' B SHEETS-SHBET 3L Www-:55H5:

ma mais neas comadre-mma. wnsmum'nn, uc:

No. 745,417. VPETENTED DEG.1,1903

D. E. EEUEE'E.

MACHINE EOE EAEING JEWELS.

APPLIGATIDN FILED NOV. 12, 1898. I

IQ' MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

f, v MTM-:55E 5: rl-GE INVENTU R: JEM 3m MM D. E. GHURGH. MACHINE ma GAGING JEWELS.

APPLIOATION FILE-D NOV. 12, 18985.

s sums-SHEET e.

E0 MODEL.

lumi l WITNBSSES:

UNTED lSf'rafins Patented December 1 1903..

PATENT einen.

MACHINE FOR GAGING JEWELS.

ePECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 745,417, dated December 1, 1903.

Application tiled November 12, 1898. l Serial No. 696,193. (No model.)

To ad?) whom t may concern/.-

Be it known that I, DUANE H. CHURCH, of Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Machines for Gaging Jewels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a machine for automatically gaging or measo uring the apertures in the jewels in which the pivots of the balance-wheels or other rotary or oscillatory parts of a watch are journaled. Heretoiore thispoperation has been performed by hand, and by reason of the 5 delicacy of the parts employed it has been exceedingly diiiicult to accomplish the gaging of the jewels inasatisfactoryand suiiicientlyexpeditious manner. The pivots vary in diameter by reason of its being p'racticallyimo possible to turn and polish them to the same extent, and hence it is necessary to ascertain the diameters of the apertures in the jewels, so that they may be selected to tit the pivots with the greatest possible accuracy.

In the embodiment of the invention which I have elected to illustrate the jewels are fed one by one to the action of the gaging or measuring devices, and after the diameter of the aperture in each is ascertained it is auo tomatically placed in a receptacle and in a `compartment reserved for jewels all having that internal diameter. The receptacle for the jewels is divided into compartments cor` responding in number to the gagesl or meas- 5 uring devices, and as the latter are brought one by one into operative relation to the jewel the receptacle is automatically advanced to bring the proper compartmentinto position to receive a jewel when a gage corresponding to the aperture therein has been reached. The gages consist of a series of spindles each having a pin different in diameter from the preceding one by afraction of .O01 part of a centimeter, and they are presented one by one to the jewel untila pin is reached which corresponds in diameter to the aperture in the jewel, whereupon the jewel is immediately deposited in a proper compartment, this being accomplished by pneuo matically-operated mechanism regulated by a feeler mounted in operative relation tothe gages. As soon as the jewel has been measured or gaged and the jewel-carrier has been Y 'advanced 4one step the gages and the jewelreceptacle are immediately returned to their initial or starting point and the operation of gaging the next jewel is begun. The jewels are stacked in a chute and are fed automatically to the jewel-carrier, so that the attendance of an operative except for the purpose of replenishing the chute is practically unnecessary.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specilcation, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

(-)f the drawings,Figure 1 represents in plan view a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section looking from the rear. Fig. et represents a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a detail sectional view, on a larger scale, showing the jewel-carrier, the gages, and the gage-carrier. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the feeler, which coacts with the gages. Fig. 8 represents in sectional view a portion of the receptacle and a portion of the gage-carrier. Figs. 9, 10, and 1l illustrate the gages greatly magnitied and show the manner of utilizing the gages for measuring the diameters of the jewels. trates more or less conventionally the ports for the passage of air to the various cylinders in the machine. 'Fig 13 is a diagrammatic viewof the electric circuits and the operative parts alected thereby.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates the.

base-plate, upon which a superstructure is mounted, the latter comprising end walls at' os', a rear wall o2, and a top plate a3. A shaft b, which I term the cam-shaft, is journaled in the bearings in the end walls o and is provided with a worm-wheel o', to which motion vis imparted from awornrb'e on ashaft b3, rotated by any suitable source of power. The shaft b3 is mounted in bearings supported upon the base-plate a and extending rearwardly from the end of the machine.

The jewels to be measured or gaged are shown greatly magniiied in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, being indicated at A, andare mounted in settin gs B, which are of the same eXternaldi- Fig. 12 illus- ICO ameter. The jewels are stacked in a vertical chute c, mounted in sleeves c c', supported by a bracket or stand c2, extending upwardly from the top plate a3. The jewel-carrier consists of a ring having a thin flat outer edge d, provided with a series of apertures d2, adequate to receive the settings B. The ring is detachably secured to a disk d3, keyed to a vertical shaft d and held against removal therefrom by the screw d5, passed into the end of the shaft. The disk d3 is provided with an aperture (Z6 at its edge to receive a dowel-pin (i7, depending from the ring d, and it is mounted in a recess d8 in the top of the support d. As the jewels drop into the apertures cl2 in the ring d they are prevented from falling therethrough by the block d", upon which they rest and around the su rface of which they are carried by the ring d, said block having an aperture (125, (see Fig. 8,) with which each aperture d2 is adapted to register when it moves from the measuring position. The vertical shaft d4 projects below the plate a3 and is formed or provided with a ratchet-wheel d10, (see Fig. 5,) with which a pawl du is maintained in engagement by a spring C212. Thelast two mentioned Y parts are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The pinion Z13 is placed loosely upon the shaft d4 and is frictionally engaged therewith, there being a collar d14 secured to the end of the shaft by a screw d1, and friction-rings d1 are interposed between the pinion C113 and the ratchet-wheel d10 and the said pinion and the said collar t 14. To increase the friction, springs 6117 are placed in sockets in the collar C114 and bear against a ring C118, interposed between the collar and the friction-ring d1G next adjacent thereto. Consequently if the pinion i513 be turned in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1 the shaft and jewel-carrier will be likewise advanced; but when the pinion is turned in the opposite direction the shaft will be held against retrograde movement by the pawl du. The pinion Z13 intel'- meshes with rack-teeth formed upon one side of a piston e, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) having its ends in cylinders e/ e2, formed in the top plate a3, as indicated in Fig. 4:. Compressed air is admitted to the cylinder e2 through a duct e3, which leads from a valve-casing f,

into which latter it passes through a duct f' from asuitable source, and it is delivered intermittently into the duct e3 by the movement of the valve f2, against theend of which extends ay leverj, fulcrumed upon a shaft f4, journaled in arms projecting upwardly from the valve-casingf. The upper end of the lever]E3 bears against a cam f5 upon the shaft b, having as many rises as there are gages, to be subsequently described. Consequently as there are twelve gages air is admitted intothe `cylinder e2 twelve times for each rotation of the cam-shaft b. The piston eis normally in its rearmost position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so that the delivery of the air into the cylinder e2 ordinarily accomplishes no movement thereof.

The valvef2 is double-acting and bears against a spring f6, inserted between its inner end and a plug f7, secured to the valvecasing. The rearward -movement of the valve opens a passage-way from the duct f into a duct e4, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which leads into a valve-casing e5, in which is placed a vertically-moving valve e6. From the valve-casing another duct e7 leads into the rear end of the cylinder e. The valve e6 is held normally against the pressure of a spring e81 to close communication between the ducts e4 and e7 by a latch e8, whose lower hooked end projects under the lower end of the valve. `To the upper free end of the latch is secured the armature e9 of an electromagnet elo, Whose coil is in circuit with two contacts e11 @12, the latter of which is a spring and normally bears against the other to keep the circuit closed. The electric circuit is indicated at e512, as shown diagrarnmaticallyin Fig. 13. So long as lthese last-mentioned parts are in contact the magnet is energized to attract the armature e9 to it, and thereby hold the lower end oflthe latch underneath the lower end of the valve, whereby air is not permitted to pass from the duct e4 into the duct e7, and consequently the piston e remains stationary under ordinary conditions. When, however, a jewel has been gaged, the contact between the parts e11 e12 is broken by devices which are to be subsequently described,whereupon the spring e81 forces down the valve e6, the latter being released by the latch, and the` compressed air at the next movement of the valve f2 is permitted to pass from the duct e4 into the duct eT and force the piston e forward to feed the jewelcarrier one step, and immediately thereafter a cam g on the cam-shaft b engages a lever g/, fulcrumed upon a stud in a bracket g2, and raises the rear end of the said lever, which being under the valve eG lifts it to cut off the entrance of air into the duct e7, and the magnet e10 is energized to cause the latch e8 to again engage the valve and prevent it from dropping. There are as many rises upon the cam g as there are on the cam f5, so that the lever g is constantly reciprocated for the purpose of raising the valve eG each time it drops, and the said rises are a little in ad- Vance of those on the cam f5, so that after the valve e6 has been raised the valve f2 is shifted forward by the springr f6 to permit compressed air to pass into the cylinder e2 to thrust the piston e rearward.

The gage-carrier consists of a cylinder h, rigidly secured by a screw h' to a shaft h2, journaled in bushings 'h3 h4, supported by a bracket h5 and the top plate a3, respectively. A split nut hl, having its ends connected by a set-screw h6, is screwed upon the upper threaded end of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 5, and the lower end of the shaft is formed or IIO provided with a ratchet wheel hl, abutting against the bushing h4, so that the shaft is held against axial movement. A gear-wheel hs is secured to the lower end of the shaft to turn therewith, there being also a screw hg, which holds it thereon. A pawl h1@ on a stud depending from the top plate is held in-engagement with the ratchet by a spring h, as shown in Fig; l, and by means of mechanism to be described the gage-carrier is advanced step by step in the direction of the arrow 3, the pawl preventing it from moving backward and centering it relatively to the jewelcarrier and the jewel therein being measured.

The gages consist of minute cylindrical pins t', each extending downwardly from the holder '11', Ysecured to a spindle Q12, the upper end of which is headed at 3. These spindles are longer than the cylinder h and are arranged to* slide in V-shaped grooves therein, being heldin said grooves by a sleeve hm, which has a slot-registering with each spindle. Placed in each slot is a spring h1, connected at its upper 'end to the spindle and at its lower end to the sleeve, whereby, if permitted, the spindles will all be drawn downward. The shaft h2 is placed in such relation to the shaft d4 that one of the gages t' is always over one of the jewels linV the jewel-carrier, and as the gage-carrier rotates step by step the gages are brought-.one by one into operative relation to the jewel. The diameter ofeach gage t' is slightly greater than the preceding one, and after they are brought over the jewel they are depressed. So long as a gage can enter the jewel itfis evident that itis smaller in diameter than the aperture in the jewel; but assoon as a gage is reached whose diameter corresponds to that aperture in the jewel and cannot enter thereinto then, inasmuch as the diameters of the gages are known, it can be easily ascertained what the diameter of the jewel is.

In order toeffect the axial movement of the gages, I employ a pneumatic device consisting of a piston i4, arranged in the cylinder h and having a flange t5, which projects underl lever is operated by a cam t on the shaft I9,

. (see Figs. 6 and 7,) having on its end a split bearingj,through which the pin j? passes. A

nutj3 on the pin serves to adjust it and to raise or lower-its head j4 relatively to the heads 113 of the gagespindles. The opposite end of the lever is adapted to engage the contact cl2 and force it away from the contact e, being provided with a springj6 for this purpose.. An arm k, secured to a rock-shaft k', vhas a pin k2, which when the shaft k is rocked is adapted to engage the leverj and move its free end outwardly against the pressure of the spring jG, said lever having a notch jm, which permits the springj6 to move the lever so as to force its free end inward when the arm k is in the position shown in Fig. 7. The lower end of the shaft la has an arm las, with a pin 104, bearing against a peripheral cam h5 upon the shaft h, and as the shaft rotates the shaft Zt is rocked to vibrate the lever j.

YI term the leverj, with the pin mounted vinl the end thereof, a feeler, and it regulates the pneumatic device for the jewel-carrier,in asmuch as when the spring j is permitted to force the free Vend thereof inward it breaksV the'contact between the two parts e el?, and consequently effects a dropping of the valve e6 to open communication between the ducts e4 and e7.

The pin t7'2 is so adjusted that its heady'4 is adapted to engage the head ofthe gage, which is directly over the jewel being measured,(un less the `gage cannot enter in the aperture therein and is therefore held out of the path of the heady'4 of the pinj) so that ordinarily the spring j is unable to force the long end of the lever outward and break the contact between the parts e cli. As soon, however, as a gage which corresponds in diameter to the aperture inthe jewel reachesits position over the jewel being measured and ris prevented from descending into engagement therewith and the shaft 7c is rocked to disengage the pin k2 from the lever` j the head j* is free to move inward past the head ft'i-of the pin, and the contact cl2 is forced outward away from the contact en. The disengagement of the contact c1-l cl2 accomplishes another result which shall-subsequently be described.

The receptacle for the jewels is divided into as many compartments as there are gages, and each compartment is formed bva removable tray m', into which are placed jewels having the same-sized apertures. The receptacle itself is secured to a sleeve m2, rigidly attached to the end of a vertical shaft m3, journaled in a removable bearing-block m4 in the top plate and in a bearing-block m5 on the bed-plate of the machine. The receptacle ts within a cylindrical socket in the top plate d3, and the edges of the trays project slightly above the surface of the latter, as shown in Fig. 3. Rigidly secured to the shaft m5 is a gear-wheel m6, similar to and meshing with the previously-mentioned gear-wheel hs on the shaft h2. The shaft is also formed or provided with a ratchet-wheel m7 just 'below the gearwheel m6, and mounted loosely upon the shaft between the ratchet-wheel m7 and the IOO IIO

collar m8, rigidly secured upon the said shaft, is a pinion mi. Between the pinion and the ratchet-wheel is placed a ring m10, of friction material, such as rubber or other equivalent substance, and between the said pinion and the collar m8 are placed a friction-ring m11 and a disk m12, against the latter of which springs m13 in sockets in the collar m8 bear. By means of the friction-rings and the springs the pinion is engaged frictionally with the shaft, whereby if the pinion be turned the shaft will be turned therewith unless prevented by the engagement therewith of some stationary device. The movement of the said shaft and pinion effects a step-by-step movement of the gage-carrier, so that the latter and the jewel-receptacle are advanced simultaneously.

Arranged in the cylinders n n, which eX- tend endwise of the machine, are two pistons n2 n3, connected by a piston-rod n4, havingl rack-teeth n50 along one edge. Duets 'a5 n@ extend into the outer ends of the cylinders from the valve-casing f, the admission of air into the said ducts being controlled by a valve ni, similar in all respects to that shown in Fig. 4 and lettered f2. A lever ns, fulcrumed upon the shaft f4, bears against the valve a7 at its lower end and at its upper end bears against a cam n.9 on the shaft b, said cam having as many rises as the other cams. As the cam is rotated the valve is reciprocated to admit air first into one cylinder, as n, and then to the other cylinder, as n, to provide a reciprocation of the rack or piston-rod n4. The extent of movement of the piston-rod is limited by the valve e6, the upper end of which extends into a slot n10 in the under side of the piston n3, and thereby permits the pistons to be reciprocated only the length of the slot so long as the valve is held in its raised position by the latch e8. The piston-rod n4 is provided with a pin n in operative relation to the ratchet-wheel 'm7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When the valve is raised and the pistons moved in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. l, the rack engaging pinion m9 turns it and the shaft therewith in the direction of the arrow 5 until the movement of the piston n3 is stopped by the valve e6. Then when the piston-rod n4 is moved in the opposite direction the pawl hw, engaging the ratchet k7, prevents a retrograde movement of the gear-wheels hs m6, and at the end of the movement of the piston-rod n4 the pin 'n.11 engages one of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel m7 and turns it backward slightly to bring the teeth of the ratchet-wheelh7 firmly against the end of the pawl hw, so as to center a gage over the aperture in the jewel to be measured. Now then when a jewel has been gaged and the feeler has broken the circuit through the electromagnet to cause the dropping of the valve e6 and the consequent forward movement of the jewel-carrier air is admitted immediately thereafter into the cylinder n and the pistons n2 n3 are driven their full stroke to cause the rack-teeth to turn the pinion mi in the direction of the arrow 5 until a pin m12 on the ratchet (see Fig. l) engages a movable stop consisting of the end of a piston-rod n.13. This piston-rod 'n.13 projects out from a piston m14 in a cylinder n.15, connected by a duct nl with the cylinder n. When the piston n2 is in the position shown in Fig. l, air cannot be admitted into the cylinder 1115, as the duct n enters the cylinder n on the opposite side of the piston n2 to ythat on which the duct m5 enters, so that normally the piston-rod w13 is backed out of the way of the pin 7212 when the jewel-receptacle is being turned around step by step; but as soon as the piston n2 is permitted to pass the mouth of the duct n the air is admitted under pressure to the cylinder m15, and the piston rtl4 is forced forward to cause the end of the piston-rod w15 to engage the pin 'm12 and stop the ratchet-wheel, and therefore the gage-carrier and the jewelreceptacle, at their initial or starting positions. The gages and the compartments or trays in the receptacle are so related to each other, as has been previously stated, that when the jewel-receptacle has made one complete revolutiou the gage-carrier has done the same, and as each compartment or tray in the receptacle is adapted to receive jewels having apertures of the same size consequently when a gage is directly over the jewel the compartment which receives jewels having apertures corresponding to that gage is in position to receive the jewel at the next movement of the jewel-carrier. The block 19, on which the jewel-carrier turns, being provided with the aperture dis, beneath which there is always one compartment of the jewel-receptacle and with which each aperture in the jewel-carrier registers immediately after the jewel therein has been measured, therefore immediately after a jewel has been gaged it is dropped into the proper compartment.

The parts of the machine are so timed that when a gage has been reached which corresponds to the aperture in the jewel and the feeler is freeto operate to break the circuit through the electromagnet the latch e8 permits the valve e6 to drop, and air is thereby allowed to pass into the cylinder e to feed the j ewel-carrier one step forward,whereupon the jewel immediately drops through the aperture d25 into the compartment in the receptacle which is waiting to receive it and which corresponds to the gage that iitted the jewel. Immediately after this compressedair is admitted to the cylinder n, and the jewelrecep tacle and the gage-carrier are returned to their original or starting points, as described, after which air is admitted to the cylinder n .to return the pistons 'n2 'n3 to their normal positions. Then the cam g, engaging the lever g', raises the valve e6 until it enters the aperture n10 in the pistons n3, and the latch e8 engages its lower end. Then the jewel-relOO IOS

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maar? ceptacle and the gage-carrier are again advanced step by step until the first jewel, Which is now in place, isA measured.

K'While I have described my invention as being adapted for measuring the apertures in a series of jewels, yet any one skilled in the art will readily appreciate the fact that so far 'as the invention itself is concerned it may be embodied in machines for measuringor gaging objects of various kinds, either large or small, and that the various parts of the machine herein described may be modified or changed Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though Without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, l declare that what I claim is i. A jewel-gaging machine having a chute for holding a plurality of jewels, means for automatically carrying the jewels from said chute and means for automatically gaging their apertures while held by said carrying means.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising gaging devices for gaging the apertures in jewels, and mechanism for separating the gaged work according to its measurement. ,Y

3. A machine for gaging the apertures in jewels, comprising gaging mechanism including a plurality of rods or pins varying in diameter adapted' to be brought successively against the Work With their axes in alinement with that of the hole, a receptacle having a series of compartments, and mechanism for distributing the gaged work into the compartments.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising a Work-receptacle havinga series of compartments, a series of graded gages one corresponding to each compartment, said gages being adapted to measure the diameter of an aperture in the work, and a carrier for the Work, said parts operating to gage the Work and place it in the compartment corresponding to the gage.

5. A machine for gaging the apertures in jewels, comprising a Work-holder having means for holding the Work temporarily against movement therein, a Work-receptacle having a series of compartments, a series of aperture-gages, a carrier for the gages, and mechanism for moving the receptacle and carrier in unison.

6. A machine for gaging the apertures in jewels, comprising a Workholder having means for holding the Work temporarily against movement therein, a series of graded apertu re-gages, a carrier for said gages, mechanism for imparting a movement to said carrier until a gage is reached which corresponds With the work, and mechanism for returning the carrier to its starting-point.

'2'.v A machine for gaging the apertures in jewels, comprising a Work holder having means for holding the Work temporarily against movement therein,`a series of graded gages, va carrier for the gages, a series'of compartments for the Work, mechanism for irnparting a step-by-step movement to the carrier and the said compartments, and devices for returning said carrier and compartments to their starting-points. l

8. A machine of the character described, comprising a Work-holder, a series of graded gages, a carrier for thev gages, mechanism for imparting a step-by-step movement to 'the carrier, a feeler in operative relation to the gages, and mechanism controlled by said feoler for returning the said carrier to its starting-point,

9. A machine of the character described, comprising aWork-holder, measuring devices for the work, a Work-receptacle having a series of compartments, mechanism for imparting a step-by-step movement to the work-receptacle, a feeler in operative relation to the measuring devices, and mechanism controlled by said feeler for returning the Work-receptacle to its starting-point'.

10. A machine for gaging the apertures in jewels, comprising a series of graded aperturegages, a work-carrier adapted to hold the Work stationarily therein While it is being measured, and mechanism controlled bythe gages for feeding the Work-carrier.

1l. A machine for gaging the apertures in.

jewels, comprising a series of graded aperture-gages, a Work-carrier, a receptacle for the measured Work, and mechanism controlled by the gages for causing the work-carrier to dropits Work in the said receptacle.

12. A machine of the character described comprising measuring devices, a receptacle for the measured Work, a carrier for the Work, a feeler in operative relation to the measuring devices, and mechanism controlled by said feeler for feeding the carrier to present afresh piece of Work to the gages, and to drop the measured Work in the receptacle.

13. A machine of the character described comprising measuring devices, a movable receptacle having compartments for the measured Work, a movable gage-carrier having a series of gages, a movable work-carrier, a feeler, and mechanism controlled by said feeler for advancing the Work-carrier, and returning the gage-carrier and Work-receptacle to their starting-points.

14. An organized machine comprising Aa carrier for the Work, devices for automatically feeding the Work thereto, measuring devices, a movable receptacle, and mechanism for separating the Work according to its grade or measurement into said movable receptacle.

IDO

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15. An organized machine comprising a feeding device, a Work-carrier, a gage-carrier having a series of graded gages, a movable Work-receptacle having a series of compartments, and power devices for causing the causing the actuation of all of said elements, :o work to be presented to the gages to be measto cause the Work to be measured and deposured and then placed in its proper compartited in the proper receptacle.

ment. In testimony whereof I have aflixed my sig- 5 16. An organized machine comprising a nature in presence of two Witnesses.

feeding device, a Work-carrier, a gage-carrier DUANE H. CHURCH. having a series of graded gages, a movable Witnesses:

Work-receptacle having a series of compartl MARCUS B. MAY, ments, and eleetropneumatic mechanism for P. W. PEZZEITI. 

